baiting birds

[Siwash]

Siwash-

Have you ever killed a turkey in the US?  You know, since it's easy and we have so many of them that they just run to the end of our gun barrels...  

Additionally, I have no issues if you bait turkeys where it's legal.  Some frown upon it and it will certainly increase your probability of success, but ethics are defined by the individual.

Peace?  How about- Good luck this season.

-Keith

Keith:

As a mater of fact lot of Canadians head south to hunt turkeys, just like lots of Americans come up here to hunt our bears, moose and caribou and fish our lakes... Benefits both of us as we spend money in each others jurisdictions... They must go there for a reason to hunt turkey... and the reason is simple. You have a longer and earlier season, higher bag limits and MORE birds which means it must be more challenging to hunt birds here, otherwise why would you drive 300 miles+ ?

Have you hunted in Ontario for turkey? i doubt it...

[Siwash]

Now that I've established a baiting strategy can anyone offer tips on electronic calls or traps and nets for catching turkeys that come within range?

Just kidding

[lmbhngr]

   I`m assuming It`s ok to hunt bear over the bait barrel in canada also; right? Real sportsman put there time into the sport, harvest the animal, sleep good at night. Putting there time in doesn`t mean filling the bait either!! By the way: I`ve never hunted in canada! I like to keep my money in America!

[Borat]

Siwash,

I'm well aware of the economic benefit that both the United States and Canada can derive from the domestic and international hunting communities.  Wildlife is a public resource that anyone can enjoy, regardless of their citizenship.  That was not the point of my point post, which you failed to identify.  

My point was that you believe it is much harder to kill a turkey in Ontario because turkeys are less abundant in your area.  Clearly the population is at a healthy and sustainable level, as there would not be a hunting season if this was not the case.  As a hunters, we must fully understand our quarry to be succesful (on a regular basis).  I'll agree that in some places in the U.S. turkeys are more plentiful, but I've also hunted many areas throughout the United States that did not have a thriving turkey population.  Many of these areas lack the required nesting habitat and nutrition due to an overly mature hardwood canopy.  In those particular areas, it was/is common to only hear 1 turkey gobbling on any given morning.  For the most part, this taught me to be a very a perceptive hunter.  I rely on scouting, hard work, and hours of practice to be successful on the only opportunity I may have after driving an hour and hiking 45 minutes up the mountain.  From all of this I have a hard time believing your turkeys are more difficult to kill.  Additionally, areas with higher turkey densities present their own unique challenges.  I've hunted turkeys and been successful in GA, but have found that there are much more hens available per gobbler.  The hens will frequently pitch off the limb and walk straight into the hardwood bottom that the gobbler is located in.  At this point, I'm just going to assume that you understand the difficulty that this situation presents.  Obviously I acknowledge that areas with higher turkey densities are more forgiving than those with low numbers, as they enable you a backup plan should things go array.  Regardless, the turkey is no easier to kill.

You never stated if you've killed a turkey in the United States, but I'll admit that I have never been to Ontario to hunt them.  I can assure you that I will kill a Canadian turkey in the next 5 years, but if you'd like to extend the invitation my way, I'll be happy to come up there this May and show you how to kill one...  I'll even let you shoot first.

Again, good luck this season.

-Keith

[dirt road ninja]

I believe Siwash post was taken out of context. He seems to have cleared it up in his second post on this thread. IMHO I don't think he intends to harvest a bird in a bait pile, but rather supplement feed  the birds in the area he is hunting. His first post when he started the thread leans to the side of what the majority of us consider baiting and unethical. I don't think that was his intention.

There are many of us here, myself included, that plant supplemental food plots and/or run feeders year round to enhance the wildlife on our hunting grounds. In many states it is legal to feed year round, but hunting certain species over or around the bait is illegal. I feel that feeding/planting does nothing but benefit the wildlife in an area and if you have the time/means to do so, you should.

As far as the debate on how hard or easy a turkey is to kill, I think it depends on the turkey and/or the day, but a turkey is a turkey no matter where in the world he may roost.

Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck.

[HunterMan]

Agree